


The Hell Is Empty

by NICEISME



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Alternate Universe - Vampire, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-31
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-12-29 23:14:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18303722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NICEISME/pseuds/NICEISME
Summary: “I build forts. And sometimes, I retaliate.” He warned. So what if Dr. Lecter might have an idea of what he was, what he had said just confirmed Will’s survival instinct. He knew Dr. Lecter was not entirely human or if he was, not the humane kind, and Will would rather be the one to bite first.“No forts in the bone arena of your skull for things you love, but the retaliation behind those lovely lips will do indeed.” Dr. Lecter quipped, almost flirtatiously.Will blinked at the whiplash of tone.





	The Hell Is Empty

**Author's Note:**

> English isn’t my native language and I have no beta.  
> So any errors are mine and can be pointed out for future corrections.
> 
> I love Hannibal. So much that I’ve never posted any works on it, for inexplicable reasons.  
> But there is a first time for everything, I suppose. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this.
> 
> Thank you for reading. ♥️

| Chapter One

 

Will internally groaned at the sight of another approaching figure, another weakened soul to his otherworldly appearance. Underneath her synthetic peach perfume, the woman smelled like withering petal of orange flower, and smoked cherry, her cigarette of choice, and she must be almost a quarter of his age, which was quite old in his opinion, if Will was a rudely thinking person. 

And he was. 

“What an absolute delight, to see such a young man indulging in fineness like this. Mister..?” Her voice, surprisingly, smooth and obscured her age throughly. Will smiled pleasantly at the question and squashed down the urge to show the teeth. 

“Graham. Will Graham. And Miss..?” He replied without the conventionally politeness like offering a hand.

If anything, she only seemed amused. “Mrs. Komeda.” She lifted a gloved hand up toward him in retaliation. 

Oh still got some bite in her dwindling body after all. Will thought and delicately kissed at her knuckles. 

If he could still fill his hatred for things and categorize them by the amount of distaste for it. This, would undeniably come up almost at the top. The small talk, the absolutely mind-numbing conversation before the play started. To mingle with these sacks of flesh and blood, and drink another flute of fruitless champagne. But he hadn’t fed for weeks and the thirst was scraping his throat raw. And Will couldn’t really resisted the hedonistic part of himself. 

He really loved _Swan_ _Lake_ , sued him.

“—maybe you can come to the exhibition at the end of July.” Mrs. Komeda finished her invitation with an air of mild annoyance, sensing Will’s absence of mind.

But that wasn’t the case, Will could multitask like a god, or a _devil_. He mused naturally. 

“Maybe. If the age isn’t renaissance.” He lied 

“Why? Pray tell.” Mrs. Komeda looked genuinely surprised at his answer but suspicious. 

Ah, surprised at his deception.

His only reply was a small tug at the corner of his mouth. This woman wouldn’t be his prey tonight, Will decisively concluded. Too smart to play nicely and Will was too tired to lay the game thick. He really needed to feed, _soon_. And maybe, the Swan Lake wasn’t worth it. He should have went to the bar and picked up some strays. Taste horrible but sustenance nonetheless.

“Well, I—.” Before Will could bid for his solitude, he sensed another presence aiming toward them. The pace was predatory but Will had never felt like prey.

Until now.

He smelled the man before he saw him, like always, his superior olfactory picked up the spice, cooking spice, a chief perhaps? Something earthy and oceanic, a wisp of burning forest and blood, so tangy, he could taste it at the back of his tongue. _Huh?_

“Mrs. Komeda. Always a pleasure.” The voice was raspy and so very deep that it reached inside Will and shook his core. The feeling was unwelcome, Will shifted his stance immediately, ready to flee, or if the situation called for it, _fight_. And for the first time, Will wasn’t certain who would be the victor.

Will turned to the man, and _oh_ he was a man, a supreme specimen of human indeed. Or perhaps, _entirely_ _not_. He was tall, taller than Will, even though not by much but a few inches. But he was definitely broader, heavier, thicker, muscular, but his skin wouldn’t be that hard to sink his teeth in. His face was all sharp angle, cheekbones that could slash through someone’s throat, pursed lips shaped to a small smile. Sleek dark blonde hair with glimpse of silver, his bony eyes socket lined with time, almost non-existent eyebrows over the—.

Maroon eyes. Akin to dry blood. With something so dark resided, darker than the night sky, like a black hole that even light couldn’t escape it. 

Will couldn’t avert his eyes fast enough. His empathy blared an alarming sound inside his skull. 

Oh shit, shit, shit.

“Ah, Hannibal. Always a charmer. Meet my newfound acquaintance, Will Graham.” Mrs. Komeda touched at Will’s elbow softly and Will bristled like she had just clawed his arm out of his shoulder. Outwardly he only stiffened a hair straighter.

_Hannibal_. The name was absurd and overpowering like the man himself. 

Will braced and placated himself, meeting a fellow predator didn’t mean one of them had to be the prey. But not knowing what kind of predators he was facing might be a bit of a problem. 

The contact of his empathy with Hannibal, no matter how minuscule it was, told him enough to be polite. Unlike his encounter with the woman beside them, Will offered his hand to him.

Almost knowing what had run through Will’s mind, Hannibal smiled. _Asshole._  

“Dr. Hannibal Lecter. A pleasant surprise.” Hannibal, no, Dr. Lecter. Took his hand and to Will’s utter predicament, kiss at his _life_ _line_.

The warmth from his lips branded his skin in a shape of a promise, or a harbinger, Will couldn’t quite decide. He only withdrew his hand back slowly and didn’t meet Dr. lecter’s eyes.

“Not very fond of eye contact, are you?” Dr. Lecter inquired. 

Will scoffed. Doctor. Psychiatrist. _Just_ _my_ _luck_.

“You see too much,” Will paused to look straight into the double ocean of blood and continued. “You don’t see enough.” He squinted as an emphasis and saw a glint of amusement shimmering over the waves. “Oh, and is that a burst vein?” Will rudely baited but Dr. Lecter’s smile only widened, almost broke into a grin.

“Yes, I’d rather avoid making unnecessary eye contact as possible.” He finished, inexplicably, feeling his guard at the lowest since the night started.

“Debatable in the manner of necessity. Or to be more precise, the manner of whose. Association comes quickly, and I believe you will be far away and long pass those who are able to be your associates.” At this point, Will was vibrating with the sheer force of holding himself back from tearing this man into pieces and seeing how he ticked and _knew_. 

All Will could do was chuckle lightly and sipped his champagne, which did anything but soothe his thirst or his nerve.

“I build forts. And sometimes, I retaliate.” He warned. So what if Dr. Lecter might have an idea of what he was, what he had said just confirmed Will’s survival instinct. He knew Dr. Lecter was not entirely human or if he was, not the humane kind, and Will would rather be the one to bite first. 

“No forts in the bone arena of your skull for things you love, but the retaliation behind those lovely lips will do indeed.” Dr. Lecter quipped, almost flirtatiously.

Will blinked at the whiplash of tone.

Mrs. Komeda, for some reason, had been looking gleefully at their interaction and finally, decided to join in. “I’ve never met anyone who can fence words with Hannibal as well as you do, Mr. Graham. Truly, a pleasant surprise.” She used Dr. Lecter’s remark and Will could see that the man wasn’t so pleased with the act. 

_Possessive_ _bastard_.

Wait, what did he just think. Will groaned at his own empathetic ability to be out of his control most of the time.

Before Will could say anything further, a portly man invaded into their little circle. Will noted that Dr. Lecter’s did steal all Will’s attention toward the man himself, for how belatedly he could sense the approaching. The newcomers came in pair, Will just realized. The company of the portly one was a gentleman, tall and lean with beautiful ebony skin, unlike his friend, his eyes fixated on Will, not on Dr. Lecter.

Will really should have went to the bar. 

“Good evening, Dr. Lecter! A promising play isn’t it? Very exciting indeed!” The portly man stumbled around his words, like the adjectives didn’t mouth around his lips often. He smelled of cheese and greasy things, Will tried not to retch.

“Mr. Froideveaux.” If look could crush someone into smithereens, Dr. Lecter would have to explain the sudden storm of dust in front of him. Will almost laughed at the doctor’s face of disdain, he was enjoying Dr. Lecter’s pain too much.

But Mr. Froideveaux was nothing but oblivious, he continued on and introduced his friend as Tobias Budge, an owner of upper-class musical instrument who smelled like oak wood and internal organs, especially those in gastrointestinal system.

For god’s sake. No wonder he prattled on and on about catgut string.

Will just wanted to give the middle finger to the Swan Lake and called the nearest taxi. He didn’t even feed or he couldn’t even get drunk nowadays and here he was, dealing with a psychopath, possible serial killer, in sober. Will looked at Dr. Lecter and thought, serial killers. Hell, the good doctor must be those kinds of inhuman and proud. Definitely wanted audiences to show off his kills, just to scratch the itches.

“I’m his patient.” For Mrs. Komeda’s inquiry, Mr. Froideveaux beamed like he had the best card at the table.

“Are you now?” Will, absentmindedly slipped.

The silence was loud and Will bit back a grin of unrepentant, Dr. Lecter looked at Will with besotted look and that snapped Will’s right out of the victory. Though, Will couldn’t help himself, he tipped his head a little motion, _you’re_ _welcome_.

Mr. Froideveaux gaped his mouth and looked at his friend, to defend his wounded pride, Will supposed. Mr. Budge briefly made an eye contact with his friend and then, looked at Will curiously with a smirk, the same thing he did all the time he stayed in their circle. Which was irritating enough for Will to feed on him. 

_Oh_. 

It would be morally acceptable surely, people always said that if you killed another killer, the number of killers in this world would stay the same, but Will was always one. So this would be counted and he wouldn’t have to charm and allure his prey to him, it would be a fight, unfair fight with Will’s adventage, but this wasn’t his complaining. The thought alone made his gum ached to shred and make more room.

Just before Will could act on his decision, an announcement of the time and the opening of doors to the seats was arrived. People began to drain their drink and pour their departure. Mrs. Komeda naturally joined in the motion which left the men stood at each other with wariness.

Mr. Froideveaux was reluctant to draw away from Dr. Lecter and Will just wanted to stab those two pairs of dark eyes with his clawed fingers. Finally, Mr. Budge couldn’t stand the tension, bid his and his friend’s farewell. if Will was hundreds years younger, he would have been that man. But alas time did thicken his skin.

So it was Will and Dr. Lecter now, and the tension increase tenfold. 

Will thought about forgoing the show and going to the bar, and doing everything in the familiar setting, luring someone, feeding in the hotel, leaving the body in the bottom of the ocean. But this time, he considered leaving the country tomorrow night and never came back to Baltimore in decades. 

Yes, fuck Swan Lake. He could live without something he loved. He always could, it was his nature.

“I’m afraid this may be the last time I have the pleasure of your presence and conversation, seeing you contemplating on leaving the night.” Dr. Lecter mused, looking honestly wistful. His words made the phrase mean Will would leave forever.

Well, decades did sound like forever to human’s ears.

And the sole reason for his early departure was this man, _Hannibal_ _Lecter_. Who made Will felt out of his element, or what left of his past human soul, if he still had it. His scent alone made Will wanted to bear his teeth and flash his eyes, his kiss made Will wanted to claw the doctor’s chest open and eat his heart raw.

And all those words, they made him wanted to know him, to see him, and to stop feeling this suffocating loneliness.

He made Will _hope_ , that’s there was someplace he would belong.

And Will was afraid that he would stay. 

Dr. Lecter was right. Will would be far away and long pass everything and _everyone_. 

“I— yes. It was an abrupt change of plan.” Will answered, truthfully. 

“Join me for dinner.” Dr. Lecter suddenly spoke. 

Bewildered, Will blinked and tilted his head. 

“Whose dinner?” Will asked, his heartbeat accelerated. Well, that was impulsive.

“Our dinner.” Dr. Lecter simply answered.

“I’m not sure I have your appetite, Dr. Lecter.” 

“I beg to differ. You certainly have it.” Dr. Lecter smiled, all teeth.

“Are you saying we indulge in the same line of drinks?” 

Will was going to hyperventilate at this point, (like he ever could.) he had never met another being like him, but Will knew what he was, and Dr. Lecter didn’t fit the profile, it was too similar and too different in the motive and nature.

“Unfortunately, no. But close enough.” At the doctor’s answer, Will felt a tide of disappointment welled up to drawn him, only the last sentence kept him afloat.

“Then it won’t be our dinner, Dr. Lecter.”

“I won’t repeat myself. You shall know the difference only if you eat it. And please, call me Hannibal.”

“What if it will be so different that it will only end up being just my dinner?” Or just _your_ _dinner_ , left unsaid.

“That would be entirely rude. However, I enjoy your company far too much, I’m more than willing to take my own risk.” Dr. Lecter— Hannibal said, unadulterated as ever.

_Fine_. Will thought, he trusted his centuries of experience, if the dinner did go sideways.

_I’m willing to take my own risk too._

“I don’t find you that interesting, Hannibal.” Will smiled around the name, this time, with sharp teeth and eyes flashed hint of unnatural gold. 

“You will.” Determined and a bit swooned at Will’s display, Hannibal vowed.

 

* * *

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading.
> 
> Kudos and comments are much appreciated. ♥️
> 
> Ps. You can comment about any prompts on Hannibal, I ran out of idea lately and would love to do some short stories about these murder-husbands.


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